My dad has taught me a lot about God and he just recently became a follower of Christ. My dad is a fixer, by that I mean he is one that is always the first one there if something is broken and needs fixing, or if something needs to be built, he has always been there. Just this week I mentioned to dad that my push mower wouldn’t run and the next morning he called me first thing wanting to work on it. It dawned on me just this week that dad’s love language is working, doing acts of service for those he loves. He is also a giver of his time and energy and I have been the beneficiary of a lot of his hard work. He reminds me of the love that God the Father has for us.
Dad has built every house he and mom have ever lived in with the exception of a mobile home we lived in for a short time while we built their 3rd new home, the one they liven in now. My brother and I helped to do the labor on that house, we were about 15 and 16 at the time. When I bought my home it was my dad who did the brick work, it was dad who built my garage and my deck, and it has been my dad that has done any building and most of the maintenance that I have ever needed done.
We grew up on the farm, raising cattle, apples, and peaches. Dad has taught me to always work hard and make an honest living. My dad has taught me a lot of biblical principles and that is pretty amazing. I didn’t grow up going to church, I went with neighbors to VBS and later in life started to go on my own and with my brother. I was 21 years old when I finally dedicated my life to serving the Lord. However, I remember praying for my mom and dad since the time I was about 5 years old. I would pray that our family would go to church together but it didn’t look very promising as mom and dad just didn’t have any interest in church and the things of God. Don’t get me wrong, they always knew there was a God, they just didn’t have a relationship with Him.
In February 2010 after praying for 40 years that my mom and dad would go to church, they came to church one Sunday morning and they have been there almost every Sunday since that time. God had led me to do a 40 day Fast in January 2010 that started just a few days before mom and dad came to church and their relationship to the Lord was on the top of my prayer list. This is a great example that no one should ever give up on anyone. In faith believing there was always a part of my spirit that knew one day they would come and they did.
On May 29th, 2011 mom and dad both professed their faith in Christ and I baptized my dad in New River. Mom had been baptized years earlier in the Primitive Baptist Church and we don’t re-baptize in the United Methodist Church. Today, June 18th, 2011 my mom and dad joined First UMC Hillsville through Out of the Box Worship Center where I serve as the pastor. This has been one of the greatest years of my ministry.
Wow, Happy Father’s dad!
Ronnie
WoW!!! Awesome testimony! And what a blessing they are to us!